Deep immune profiling of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with CODEX multiplexed imaging

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) may be genomically subclassified by the presence of potentially actionable molecular aberrations, of which pathogenic alterations in isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)1 and fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR)2 are the most frequently observed. The impact of these molecular alterations on the tumor immune microenvironment remains incompletely understood.

We performed a high-parameter spatial immune phenotyping of iCCA samples with pathogenic FGFR2 or IDH1 alterations and FGFR2/IDH1 wild-type controls at the single-cell level using CO-Detection by indEXing.

A total of 24 tumors were examined. Tumors with FGFR2 alterations were characterized by fewer CD8+ T cells and "M2-like" macrophages but higher levels of polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells as compared to FGFR2 wild-type tumors. Spatial relationships between polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells and multiple other cell types in the tumor microenvironment (including tumor cells, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells) were enriched in tumors with FGFR2 alterations. Tumors with IDH1 mutations had a trend toward more fibroblasts and were characterized by a closer proximity of tumor cells to CD4+ T cells, and between macrophages and multiple structural tumor microenvironment components as compared to other subtypes.

iCCAs with pathogenic FGFR2 fusions/rearrangements and IDH1 mutations have distinct immunophenotypes. Tailoring immunotherapeutic approaches to specific molecular subsets could improve treatment outcomes across the divergent molecularly defined iCCA subtypes.